CA2174734A1 - Topographical method - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for imparting topographical features to a permanent substrate employing a sheet material comprising a thermosettable pressure-sensitive adhesive composition. The edges of the sheet material are caused to flow prior to the thermosetting reaction to provide smooth transition lines between an exposed surface of the sheet material and the permanent substrate.

Description

, WO 95/13327 2 1 7 4 7 3 ~ PCT/US94/113311 TOPOGRAPHICAL METHOD
'R-)SS RF.FERF.~CE TO RFT ~TFn APPT TCATION
A related application is PCT T. ~ "-"~1 Application No. PCT/US93/03469, T"f.. -l;."`-l Publication No. WO 93/23487, published November 25, 1993.
FIFT T) OF T~TF INVF~IION
This invention relates to a method for providing top~
features to a substrate.
BACK(~R-)UNIl OF I~TF INVF~lTlON
U.S. Patent No. 5,086,088 discloses a ~atent, ~ r pressure-sensitive adhesive ~ comprising an acrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive and an epoxy resin component which provides for the therrnoset cure. The adhesive ~ ,u" is disclosed as being useful to fasten roof molding to a car body.
BRTFF SUMM/~RY OF TT-TF INST~NT INVE~TION
The instant invention provides a novel method for imparting I or protective features to a permanent substrate, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a dissevered, hardenable sheet material having first and second major surfaces, comprising a latent, ~h~ 03~ pressure-sensitive adhesive throughout a major portion of its thickness, and exhibiting pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at the first major surface;
b) contacting and adhering the first major surface of the sheet material to the permanent substrate or a temporary substrate leaving the second major surface of the sheet material exposed;

, WO95/13327 ; 2 1 7 4 7 3 ~ PCI'IUS94/11330 c) substantially ~ g~ and ~llh~t~n~i~lly hardening the sheet material in a manner permitting initial, controlled mass flow of the sheet material substantially in its thickness direction to provide a substantially smooth transition between the second surface of said sheet material and ehe permanent substrate or the temporary substrate to which it has been adhered; and d) in the event the hardened sheet material is adhered to the temporary substrate, removing the hardened sheet material therefrom and thereafter fastening (e.g., adhering) the first major surface of the sheet material to the permanent substrate.
In a preferred method, the sheet material is adhered to the permanent substrate in the first instance.
The method of the invention finds particular utility in the application of sheet material to primed or unprimed metal automobile parts or 15 bodies to seal metal parts or provide emblems or insignia or design elements such as trim. The resulting laminate is aesthetic since the hardened sheet material exhibits smooth, rounded edges relative to the substrate, and can be painted or otherwise decorated as desired to match or ~`.... ,,l. ,.l the remainder of the ~tnm~hil~.
Another application of the method of the invention is in the fabrication of signs or the like which are then adhered to the permanent surfaceby means of an adhesive distinct from the sheet material employed in making the sign or other article.
DETATT FT) DE~iCRIPTION OF TH~ INVF.'~TION
The sheet material employed in the method of the invention comprises a latent, Ih~ pressure-sensitive adhesive. By "pressure-sensitive adhesive" is meant that the adhesive exhibits pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at the t~ p~ldlUIC; at which the sheet material is contactedwith the permanent substrate or temporary substrate in step b) of the method.
Generally, the t~ dl~ involved in that step will be between ambient ~ W09Srl3327 217~73~ PCTrusg4/~1330 , and about ioooF. It is presently preferred that the adhesive exhibit pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at ambient t` ~ such as 22C.
In certain ~ where the sheet may require ~
on or initial adhesion to a substrate is not desired, it is desirable for the sheet to 5 be tack-free at room i . but then upon heating, the sheet becomes tacky.
The ~ r.~;l;.~., of the Ih. . ~ pressure-sensitive adhesive contained in the sheet material is such that, when employed in the method of the invention, its modulus decreases permitting controlled flow of the sheet 10 material at its edges resulting in smooth transition lines between the exposed surface of the sheet material and the substrate to which it has been adhered. By"controlled flow" is meant that there is no substantial change in the ~irmon~ ncof the sheet material in its x- and y-planes defining the first major surface.
Typically the sheet material will have been configured in the desired shape and 15 ~ by a process such as die-cutting or knife or laser slitting resulting in sharp transition lines. After the above-described controlled flow has occurred, a latent curing or crosslinking chemistry is activated to harden the sheet material and the pressure-sensitive adhesive therein. A~ g such hardening may be a loss of cl~hcf~n~ y all the pressure-sensitiYe adl.~;~ a 20 of the sheet material. In a preferred method of the invention, the controlled mass flow and subsequent 1l .. ~ i.e., curing and/or cross-linking, reaction result from heating of the sheet material.
The sheet material used in the method of the invention comprises a latent ~h~ bl~ pressure-sensitive adhesive throughout a major portion of 25 its thichless. Preferably, the sheet material comprises the adhesive throughout its entire thickness.
The Ih- ~ pressure-sensitive adhesive preferably comprises the 1.1..,1,..1~...:. ,il reaction product of starting materials comprising i) a ~ ,.i., (i.e., partially p~ly...~li~d to a viscous syrup typically between about 100 to 10,000 centipoises) or - syrup comprising an acrylic or ".~I.a~ acid ester; ii) an epoxy resin; iii) a ~': , and iv) a heat-~ _ _, . . .. . ... ... ...... ... .. .

, WO~5/13327 ~13~ PCT/I~S94/11330 aetivable hardener for the epoxy resin. Such a ..~ o~ may be eoated and poly ' ~u~ l.y in a variety of thieknesses ineluding relatively thiek seetions.
The l': r ~ lql~ùly ll~.ic or l,.ul,u,l..,li~ syrup S eontains an acrylic or ll~ a~ , ester and optionally a ~ul~oly~-~.,li~bl~
reinforeing c----- . The aerylie or ~ yli~, ester is a ' aerylie or I ' ~I;c ester of a ~,u.. ~.~i~y alcohol, having from about 4 to about 12 carbon atoms in the alcohol moiety. Included in this class of esters are n-butyl aerylate, hexyl aerylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate, 10 isooctyl aerylate, deeyl acrylate and dodeeyl acrylate. Mixtures of esters may be employed.
The iulloly,..~.i~l; 1~ reinforcing monomer, if employed, is preferably seleeted from the group eonsisting of monomers sueh as aerylie aeid, isobornyl acrylate, N-vinyl ~ uI;Ju.l." N-vinyl ~lula~ l, N-vinyl piperidine, N,N-' ' yl~ yldll~idc, and acrylonitrile. Preferred reinforcing monomers are nitrogen-eontaining sueh as those nitrogen-eontaining monomers listed above. The reinforeing monomer will generally be seleeted such that a l,~J.... ,u~lol~ . prepared therefrom will have a glass transition higher than a --u~uly~ . prepared from the aerylie or Ill.,Lll.l~.lylic ester employcd.
In the event that the p~c~lylll~.ic or ,~ syrup eomprises both an aerylie or ~ ylic ester and a reinforeing , the acrylie or ~ llal,~yl;~, ester will generally be present in an amount of about 50 to 9 parts by weight, and the reinforeing ç,. ~ . . will be present in a amount of about 50 to 5 parts by weight. One skilled in the art will be able to vary the nature and amount of the reinforcing monomer to obtain the pressure-sensitive adhesive properties desired.
It may also be desirable to employ glycidyl ~ I-YIG~
glyeidyl acr,vlate or another epoxy-functional monomer as a starting material together with the aerylie or l~ ester and reinforcing monomer, if employed. Sueh an epoxy-functional monomer, if employed, will preferably be ~, WO95113327 21 7~ 7~ PCT/tlS94111330 present in an amount of about 0.1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of all monomers used.
Another epoxy-functional oligomer useful as a reinforcing or cross-linking species is the epoxy adduct of 2-ijV~G~ldLU~Illyllll.l1ld~,~y- and5 the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. The useful reinforcing agents increase the modulus of the cured Cf~ without significantly affecting the melt flow ~ of the material.
The ' c~.~,.,.l~ of the cured ~ ,c.~ ". may also be effected by the use of silanes which have an .~.~"."..r,--~ group capable of reacting 10 with an epoxy group, or a vinyl group, and a silane functional group which can react with silanol groups at the surface of suitable inorganic fillers.
Silanes are . ~;dlly available from a number of different suppliers including Huls America, Inc. Mixtures of silanes may alsû be used.
In a useful ' - " t, a mixture of two silanes having different functional 15 groups can be used. For example, the first silane may contain a functional group that is selectively reactive with the oxirane group of the epoxy resin andthe second silane is contains a functional group that is reactive with the acrylates. In practice, the silica fillers might then serve as a bridging component to connect the epoxy and acrylate phases of the II...,..os~;L~l,lc 20 pressure sensitive adhesive. A blend of CUlllll.~ ,idlly available silanes that function in this manner are Hdls G6720 (epoxy silane) and Huls M8550 ~ ' silane). The blend can be used in a 1:1 ratio, although the amount of each silane could be adjusted for the ratio of the acrylates and the epoxies in the r~ ' R~;ll~.... ,~,,l,,.l can also be achieved by adding suitable polymers or ~:~ùlylll..~ to the ~{~ .l v~ Useful reinforcing polymers and copolymers are those having a glass transition ~ p.,ld~Ult; greater than about 25C. The polymers or l,uyOly.~ are those that can be dissolved by the acrylate Some polymers may require heating of the pUIylll~;l/d~ly' 30 monomer mixture to form a solution. A specific example of a useful polymer is a polyacetal such as pOly(v;l1~11,ulyldl), and examples of copolymers are .. . ... .....

2~ 7~73 WO 95113327 ~ ` PCTIIJS94/1 1330 methyl .~ ' 'butyl ~ L~ yl~, pol~l.yl..,~ ' J' p~ ubu~Jll~ lld~,ly , and the like. Suitable wuuly~ are available commercially from Rohm & Haas such as Acryloid~ B-66, Acryloidn' B-60 and Acryloidn' B-67.
A preferred polymer is polyvinyl butyral (PVB) because it not only increases the modulus of the cured ~ ;.,., but also enhances the adhesion of the paint to the sheet. Preferably, the PVB has a hydroxyl sufficient for solubility in the acrylate monomers. Hydroxyl between about 9% and 13% have been found to be useful. The PVB can be used in amounts from about 10 to 120 parts PVB per 100 parts of acrylate. Higher amounts cadn be used although the high viscosity of the mixture may require specialized equipment. Preferred amounts of PVB are between about 20 to 80 parts PVB per 100 parts acrylate for enhanced l,,;.lf~
r~ly(v ylbulyldl) resins are sold by Monsanto under the trademark Butvar'U in Yarious grades having different molecular weights, etc.
For cu.,,L,u~,~iu.., where more melt flow is desired, the lower molecular weights, i.e., less than about 40,0û0 are useful, although higher molecular weight resins are useful where excessive flow is not needed. (Polyvinyl)butyral 20 may also be added in a sufficient amount to reduce or eliminate the tack of the sheet material.
The acrylic cv~uly useful in the pressure-sensitive adhesive are very stable ~ Because of their stability, the sheet material employed in the method of the invention may be subjected to the heat 25 conditions required for curing the epoxy resin without ~ -l of the pressure-sensitive adhesive portion of the ~omrnr~i~inn Other types of pressure-sensitive adhesives might experience a partial or total loss of adhesion, causing ~'- - ' of the sheet material from the substrate such as a structural part to which it has been adhered prior to the conditions required, i.e., length and 30 elevation of t~ .d~UI~;, for ~ of the epoxy resin.

, W09S113327 217~ 73~ PCT/1~594/1~33 Further, both the ~ uL~oly~ iLablc acrylic or ~ ld~lylic ~ uly~ or - syrup and the ~l~ulu~olyll.~li~ polymer form a stable mixture with the epoxy resin.
Useful epoxy resins may be selected from the group of S ' li ' that contain an average of more than one, and preferably at least two, epoxy groups per molecule. The epoxy resin preferably is either liquid or a .~ ' . ' at room t~lllyc~ llc for handling purposes. Most preferred is a mixture of a liquid and sû~id resin. Rcp~ Ldlivc examples include phenolic epoxy resins, bisphenol epoxy resins, llydl~,, ' bisphenol epoxy resins, 10 aliphatic epoxy resins, cycloalipatic and h~lr)g~n~-~i bisphenol epoxy resins.
Mixtures of epoxy resins may be employed.
Preferred epoxy resins include bisphenol epoxies with the most preferred epoxy resin being the diglycidyl ether of a bisphenol-A, formed by reaction of bisphenol-A with ~iclllolul~ydli~-.
The epoxy resin will generally be present in an amount of about 25 to 120 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the p.c~-oly,l-~,.ic or - syrup.
The I ' employed to polymerize the ~JIclJOlylllclic or - syrup may be any cu.l~.lLiu~l free radical F`~ activatable 20 by, for example, ultraviolet light. An example of a suitable ~ is 2~2-dimethoxy-1~2-di~ .lyl~ c-l-one(lrgacure~U651 available from Ciba-Geigy Corporation). The ~' will typically be employed in an amount of about 0.01 to 5 parts by weight per 100 parts of the l~c~ulylll~lic or~ syrup.
The heat-activatable hardener is added to effect the curing of the epoxy resin under application of heat. The hardener may be any type, but preferably an amine type hardener that is selected from the group comprising y. 1: 1~ or polyamine salts. These are available from a variety of sourccs, e.g., Omicuren' available from Omicron Chemical and Ajicuren' available from Ajinûmoto Chemical. The heat-activatable hardener will typically be employed in an amount of about 0.1 to 20 parts by weight, and .. .. . .. . ... ..

, WO~5/13327 2174~3~ PCIIUS94/11330 ~
preferably 0.5 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the , or . .~ ; syrup. Sufficient hardener should be employed to achieve cure of the epoxy resin.
Because there are many points in, for example, an automotive 5 painting cycle at which the sheet material may be used, the heat to which the sheet material is exposed may be incl~ffiriPn~ to fully cure the epoxy resin. Inthese cases, it may be a~ lLb~ll~ to add an accelerator to the ~,.~oly..,~.
blend, so the resin may fully cure at a lower ~ , or may fully cure when exposed to heat for shorter periods. Imidazoles and urea derivatives are 10 ,u~ ,ulally preferred in the practice of the present inYention for use as a---' because of their ability, as shown by the examples herein, to extend the shelf life of acrylic based materials containing uncured epoxy resin.The most presently preferred imidazoles for use in the present invention are 2,4-diamino-6-[2'-methyl-i,.,;~ ; (I')]ethyl-s-triazinei~u~ , 2-phenyl-15 4-benzyl-5-l.ydu,.y...~ll.~li,..i~l~, hexakis (imidazole) nickel phthalate, and 2,4-diamino-6[2' ....,ll~y' ' 'yl-(l ')]ethyl-s-triazine and toluene bis-..c<.. Such an accelerator may be employed typically in an amount of up to about 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the IJl~lylll~lic or syrup.
In order to provide a sheet material exhibiting the desired flOw in response to heating it may be desirable to include a chain transfer agent in the starting materials used for preparing the ll .,..., . 1~
~ adhesive. Such inclusion facilitates obtainment of a lower molecular weight acrylic polymer having a broader ~lictnhll~inn of molecular 25 weight.
The addition of pol~ ul~a~Lu~c polyols to the latent, thermally curable, pressure-sensitive adhesive acrylate-epoxy ~u".l,o :~i.. \ has been found to enhance the flOw properties of the ~ ,n~il;.." upon thermal curing as well as to improve the paint adhesion at low ~ al..r~
The poly~uL~ u~lc polyols (also referred to herein as p~ ,.... ' ) that are useful in the practice of the present invention , W095113327 21 7~ 73~1 PCT/US9,1/1~33o imclude those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,945, . ' herein by reference. Preferred ~uly~ 1"", polyols are those lc~lv~ vd by the following structure:
HO-[(CH2)s~C(=O)~O]n-R-[o-c(=o)-(c~2)5]n-oH
5 wherein R is a divalent alkylene radical, and n is ~ Iu~dllldtvly 2-200 Useful . ~;~lly available pol~v.l~lùlavluile polyols are available from Union Carbide, Inc. under the ToneTU trademark as diols and polymers.
Polyester polymers have also been found to be useful additives in practicing this invention. Preferred polyesters are those having carboxyl or hydroxyl terminal groups and a number average molecular weight between about 7500 to 200,000, more preferably between about 10,000 to 50,000, and most preferably between about 15,000 to 30,000. It is preferred that the 15 polyester polymers are also linear, saturated, and semi-crystalline ~:U~JUI,~v~
Suita~le commercially available cu,vol~ materials include Dynapoln'S1402, Dynapoln'S1358, Dynapoln'S1227, Dynapoln'S1229, Dynapol~S1359, and Dynapol~S1401 available from Hals America, Inc.
Other useful materials which can be blended into the 20 ~ lr preSsure-sensitive adhesive include, but are not limited to, fillers, pigments, fibers, woven and nonwoven fabrics, foaming agents, stabilizers, fire retardants, and viscosity adjusting agents.
In particular, nonwoven or loosely woven scrim materials have been found to be useful in reinforcing the sheet material. Nu.,~. J.v.la can be 25 formed from polymeric fibers that adhere to the sheet material such as polyester, nylon, pol~,,ul.yl~nv, cellulose acetate, acetate, and blends thereof.
It is preferred that they are relatively thin materials, e.g., from about 0.005 mm to about 0.1 mm. The useful thickness of the scrim materials can vary depending upon the thickness of the sheet material, but typically, it is less than 30 about 20% of the thickness of the sheet, and preferably the nonwoven thickness is less than 10% of the thickness of the sheet. Nonwovens materials used to ... .. . . ..

,WO95113327 ~17~3~ PCTIUS94/11330 --channel trapped air during bonding, as detailed here below, preferably have a basis weight of about 5 to 20 grams/square centimeter. Suitable nonwovens are ~;ally available under the trade name Cerexn', from Mitsubishi r.L u~,h~...;~l cO. under the trade narne Syntex'U, and from Reemay Inc. The 5 nonwoven materials may be embedded within the sheet material or located on one or both sides of the sheet material.
Long fibers, yarns, and filaments are also found to be useful in reinfûrcing the sheet material. Preferred fibers have a fiber diameter greater than 5 microns and less than about one-tenth of the thickness of the sheet 10 material. The fibers and filaments can be made from polyester, nylon, acetate, cellulose, and the like. The number of fibers and filaments used will vary depending upon the amount of ~ rw~ L required. The number of fibers, yarns or filaments that may be used can vary from about I to 2000 per cm width. Practically, the number of fibers, filaments per cm width would be in 15 the range of about 1 to 200 due to the cost of the filaments and ease of handling.
A Lh """~ ;, film that is ,l;"....ci.~ lly stable at exposure t....~.aLul~ of use, i.e., oven paint cure cycles up to about 200C or cold weather t ,~ -aLul~, may be laminated to the sheet material to provide a very 20 smooth surface for painting. Useful films include polyimide films and biaxially oriented polyester films in thicknesses of from about 0.025 mm to about 0.5 mm, and preferably in the range of about 0.05 mm to about 0.25 mm.
The sheet material employed in the method of the present invention is preferably prepared by premixing together the ~JllvlulJoly~ ,iLal,l~
25 monomers and the r~ . This premix is then partially polymerized to a viscosity in the range of from about 500 cps to about 5,000 cps to achieve a coatable syrup. Alternatively, the monomers may be mixed with a thixotropic agent such as fumed hydrophilic silica to achieve a coatable thickness. The other ingredients such as the epoxy resin and heat-activatable hardener are then30 added to the syrup prior to phOtO-IJUI~ iLaLiu !~, W095/13327 217 4 7 3 ~ Pcr/uss4n133~
The above ~ A - '' is coated onto a flexible carrier web, preferably a silicone release liner which is transparent to ultraviolet radiation, amd pul~ ;~l in an inert, i.e., a substantially oxygen free, ~L,.,u~l~.c, e.g., a nitrogen ~ ' c. A ~ff ' '~y inert dLlllu~ c can be achieved by covering a layer of the pllUlUd~ , coating with a plastic film which is i~lly transparent to ultraviolet radiation, and irradiating through that film in air as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,752 (Martens et al.). The linersmay then be removed when it is desired to use the resulting sheet material in the method of the invention.
The nonwoven can be i~u~,u~ ' into the sheet material by placing the nonwoven material on top of the silicone release liner and coating the ~ . on top of the nonwoven. Fibers or filaments can also be embedded into the sheet material by laying the fibers onto the coatcd syrup before l,UI~,I.~Ii~i..6.
Alt~ Li~cly, the nonwoven material, and fibers or filaments may be laminated to the finished sheet material using IU~ .lliUlldl equipment such as nip rollers if the sheet material is sufficiently tacky to adhere to thenonwoven or the fibers. lf the sheet material is not tacky, the nonwoven or fibers may be laminated to the sheet material by heating the sheet material and 20 laminating or using heated nip rollers. If heat is used, the sheet material must be maintained at a tl".,~J~,.dLulc below the lllr~ g t~ ldLulc of the sheet material.
It has been discovered that when the nonwoven or fibers are adhered to the surface of the sheet material, a further advantage is provided.
2S When the sheet material is applied to a surface to be sealed, air can be entrapped between the sheet material and surface, ,UdlLi~ulduly when the sheet material is tacky. When the sheet material is heated to thermoset, the air expands and creates an air bubble. As the applied sheet material is coolcd, the air bubble collapses and leaves an unsightly crater. The advantage of using the 30 nonwoven or fibers adhered to the outside surface of the sheet material is when that th~ fiber or nonwoven side of the sheet material is adhered to the surface, Il _ _ .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . ..

, WO95/13327 217~4~ PCTIUS94/11330 ~1 channels are provided for entrapped air to escape. Thus when the sheet material is heated, the adhesive flows through the nonwoven or around the fibers to bond to the surface without craters.
The nonwoven may be applied to cover only a portion of the 5 sheet material or all of the sheet material.
The method of the present invention has a number of ~l~p~ ;"..
in industry. One utility of the method is in the automotive industry where it can be utilized in a process to seal metal joints in ~ mtlhilP~ By this process,one first prepares the sheet material such as by the above-described process.
10 ~ /, the sheet material would be applied over the joint to be sealed.
Complete sealing and bonding would be obtained because the sheet material flows prior to hardening. As a result of the controlled flow of the edges of thesheet material, an aesthetic surface ~rpP~n~P is achieved. The exposed surface of the hardened sheet material can then be painted or otherwise 15 decorated to match the automobile body.
An alternative application of the method of the invention is in the application of emblems or insignia or design elements to surfaces such as an ' body. An example of an emblem or insignia is a logo of an , An example of a design element is trim to enhance 0 and highlight auto body curvature and to provide protection to the primed metal U-~UIt; without the need for complex metal stamping to obtain the shape.
In such a method, the sheet material is configured initially in the shape of theemblem or insignia or design elements desired such as by die-cutting. Practice of the method of the invention thereby provides an aesthetically pleasing 25 emblem or insignia having smooth transition lines relative to the surface to which it has been bonded.
In still another application of the method of the invention, the substrate to which the sheet material is initially adhered is a temporary substrate such as a disposable liner. Subsequent to hardening of the sheet material in a 30 fashion to provide the controlled flow of its edges, the hardened sheet material may be fastened (e.g., adhered) to the permanent substrate through the use, for ~, WO#/13327 2I 7~ 73~ PCT/US94/11330 example, of an adhesive system distinct from the sheet material itself since thehardened sheet material may be substantially devoid of pressure-sensitive adhesive properties, In this manner, the method of the invention may be used to apply configured, h-ardened sheet materials such as signs to surfaces such as5 woodlen doors.
The invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples in which all parts are expressed as parts by weight unless otherwise indicated. The amounts of materials used in the examples are given in parts by weight unless otherwise specified.

T~-ct ~ th~c 250F, .C:hlo~r Creep Flow Test: A ~$ inch2 piece of tape is placed at the top of a 2 inch by 6 inch anodized aluminum panel. A 2 inch by 1 inch piece of anodized aluminum weighing ,~ , 5.5g is placed on lS top of the tape and parallel to the base panel; contact is made by rolling twice with a lS Ib. wheel. A line is drawn to mark the initial position of the small aluminum piece. The panel is then hung vertically on a rack and placed in a 250F. oven for 30 minutes. After this time, the rack is removed and allowed to cool. When cool, the panel is removed from the rack and the position of the 20 small aluminum piece of marked by drawing a line. The difference between the initial position and the position after heating is measured in ~ i",~t.,.~. If the tape is very meltable and the small aluminum piece falls off, a reading of > lS cm will be noted.
Melt Flow ViC~ hc~rv~til~n A I inch2 piece of tape is placed on a steel panel which has been electro-coated with paint primer, such as PPG
ED-3150 (from Advanced Coatings Technology, Inc., Michigan). The panel with tape is placed horizontally in a 250F. oven for 30 minutes, then removed and allowed to cool to room t~,ll"~ lu,~;. Visual ~ of the tape is made based on the following criteria:
1 = no flow, tape has square edges.

, WO 95/13327 21~ 4~ ~ 4 . PCTNS94/11330 ~1 . . .
2 = some flow, tape has slightly rounded edges.

3 = more flow, tape has very rounded edges.

4 = more flow, tape is st~drting to become liquid.

5 = most flow, tape has become liquid.
s Vertir~l Flow Dllrinp Cure: Flow during cure is measured by cutting a sample, <~ , 2.54 cm by 1.27 cm, adhering it to a panel which has been electro-coated with paint primer (PPG ED-I I primer from Advanced Coatings Technology, Inc., Michigan). The position of the bottom of the tape is marked, then the panel with tape is placed vertically in a 177C
oven for 20 minutes. The panel is then removed and allowed to cool to room t~ U~ ~ r The amount of flow is measured in millimeters from the mark prior to heating to the position of the bottom of the tape after heating and curing.
flhPci~n- A sample measuring about 2.54cm by 7.5cm is applied to a PPC7 ED-ll painted panel and heated at 177C for 12 minutes.
TAhe panel is then spray coated with a base coat HWB90394 (white from PPG
Industries, Inc.) and baked in an oven at 121C for 30 minutes. A two-part clear coat (Part A is CNCT2AH, Part B is CNCT2BE) was mixed by hand and spray coated onto the base coat. The painted panel is cured in a second cycle as described above. The painted panel is then cooled to room ~C~ dLUl~ and ' - ' for at least 16 hours. The paint is then tested for paint adhesion by cross hatching the cured paint surface and testing for adhesion of the paint to the sheet. The test is conducted according to ASTM D-3359-90. The test results are reported as a percentage of the paint surface that is left intact.
TPncilp StrPn~th The tensile strength and elongation of the sheets is measured both uncured (after the sheet is made) and with a thermal cure (20 minutes at 177C). The tensile strength and elongation are ~Pt~rmi~
according to ASTM 412-87 on an Instronn'Tensile Tester, using the described ~, W095113327 21 i~ 73 ~ PCT/US94/1133~
sample length of 33.27 mm., and a jaw separation speed of 50.8 ~
per minutes. The samples are c.u~ at least 24 hours after curing before testing. Tensile results are reported in megaPascals (MPa) and elongation is reported in percent of the original length (%).
s OvPrl~ ,ChP~r StrP~h- A 1.25 cm by 2.54 cm strip of sheet material is adhered between ~ pil.6 ends of two ED-11 panels (PPG ED-11 CI~L~ N~ primed steel panel available from Advanced Coating T ' ' " . Inc.) measuring 2.5 cm by 5 cm. The sample is rolled down with two passes of a 6.8 kg roller.
For initial test results, the sample (not thermally cured) is at room ~ u~lle for 20 minutes, then the panels are clamped into the jaws of an Instronn'Tensile Tester and the jaws are separated at a rateof S cm/min. The force at adhesive failure is recorded in megaPascals (MPa).
For cured shear strength, the sample is heated at 177C for 12 minutes, then heated at 120C for 30 minutes, and then cooled to room t~ d~UIC and ç. ~ ri for 16 hours before testing.
90 Peel A~7h~ n The peel adhesion is determined by laminating a 1.27 cm by 15.24 cm strip of the sheet material to a 0.13 mm thick strip of anodized aluminum. The strip is then laminated to an ED- I I
panel and rolled down with 2 passes of a 2 kg roller. The panel is then attached to a fixture on an Instronn'Tensile Tester so that the aluminum foil ispulled off at a 90 angle at a crosshead speed of 30.48 ~C.lLi~ t~l~ per minute.The peel adhesion is recorded in Newtons per decimeter (N/dm).
Cured TT~rdnPc~- The hardness of a sample cured for 20 minutes at 177C is determined using a conventional hardness tester and the test resultsare reported in Shore A hardness.

2~7~73~
W0 9S/13327 PCT/U59411133û
. ~
GLOSSARY
BA - Butyl acrylate (Union Carbide) NVC - N-Vinyl ~IJIUlII~L~l., (BASF) NNDMA - N,N-Dil~ yLl.;1~ (Jarchem) AcryloidlYB-60 - Methyl l~ "yl~lL~/butyl ."~ ,-yl~L~ copolymer, Tg =
75C (Rohm and Haas) Eponn'828 - Diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (Shell Chemical) EponexmlS10 - Hydl~ ~ ' diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (Shell Chemical) Tonen'0200 - roly~4l"ula~u.lc diol (Union Carbide; M.W. = 530) Tonen'0210 - rùly~ lulG~u.. ~, diol (Union Carbide; M.W. = 830) Tonen'0230 - r~ly~ diol (Union Carbide; M.W. = 1250) Tonen'0240 - Pùly~ ' diol (Union Carbide; M.W. = 2000) Tonen'0260 - Pùly~a~l~ ' diol (Union Carbide; M.W. = 3000) Tonen'P300 - Poly~lul~ ul~ polymer (Union Carbide) 5 Tonen'P767E - roly~ ula~,Lu..~ polymer (Union Carbide) DynâporS1402 - Polyester copolymer (Huls America, Inc.) KB-l - Esacure KB-l - Benzil dimethyl ketal (Sartomer) Irg 1010 - Irganoxn'1010 Antioxidant (Ciba-Geigy) DICY - Micronized d;."~ ide 20 E~INP - h~-Y~kic(im~ 7nl~-) nickel phthalate MS - Cab-O-SirMS - Hydrophilic fumed silica (Cabot Corporation) 2MZ Azine - Curezoln'2MZ Azine - 2,4-Diamino-6 [2'-~ l.;14Lulyl-(l')]
ethyl-s-triazine (Air Products) C15-250 - glass ~ u~ ~ (Minnesota Mining & r~ ~ cO.
CBr~ - carbon t~tl~lu~id~
IRG 651 - benzil dimethyl ketal (IrgucureTU 651 Ciba Geigy) EPIKOTE - epoxy resins under this trade name are equivalent to the Epon material of the same number 2MAOK - 2,4-Diamino-6[2' ...~ l;l~ul~l-(l)']ethyl-s-triazine isu~J
adduct epoxy hardener from Shikoku Chemical Co.Ltd.

~, W095113327 217!~7,~ PCT/US94/11331) Butvar B-79 - poly v . yl~u~ylal resin from Monsanto Co. having molecular weight of 34000-38000 Butvar B-76 - puly~ al resin from Monsanto Co. having molecular weight of 40000-55000 FXAI\~rPLE 1 - One hundred parts of a mixture of n-butyl acrylatelN-vinyl ~l~lula.L~with a monomer ratio of 80/20, was blended with 0.04 parts of Irgacure~651 and ~hutul~olyll~ li~ with an ultraviolet (UV) light source (Sylvania F20T 12BL) under a const~nt nitrogen purge to a viscosity of about 3000 cps. An additional 0.1 part of Irgacure"'651 (available from Ciba-Geigy Corporation), 50 parts of Eponn'1001 (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A available from Shell Chemical Co.), 30 parts of Epon~828 (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A available from Shell Chemical Co.), 5.94 parts of micronized di~,~ lid~
hardener, 5.04 parts of toluene bis-dimethyl urea (Omicure~24 available from Omicron Chemicals Inc.), and 0.05 parts of 3-lll~ l~a~Lu~lu~;O~ acid as a chain transfer agent were added. The mixture was thoroughly mixed on a laboratory mixer for about 15 minutes and allowed to slowly roll on a ball mill mixer for ~I~ulu~ t~ly 16 hours. The mixture was then knife coated at a thickness of 40 mil (1.016 mil~im~tPr~) onto a transparent silicone coated polyester liner having a thickness of about 0.05 millim,~tl~rc and covered with a second similar polyester liner. The coated mixture was ~ uLu~ulylll~ d using W light sources above and below the tape having intensities of 1.82 mWattslcm2 above and 1.73 below at the web as measured using a Uvirad radiometer (Model No. VR365CH3) from E.I.T. (Electronic I~ ,u,,.~.,ta~iù,l &
Technology, Inc., Sterling, VA). The total UV energy was 450 mJouleslcm2.
The liners were removed from the adhesive sheet material obtained above and the sheet material was adhered to a steel sheet. The resulting laminate was then placed for twenty minutes in an oven maintained at 270F.
During this heating cycle the edges of the sheet material flowed to provide smooth transition lines between the apex of the sheet material and the steel sheet.

.... ...... ... .... ...

, WO95113327 2~34 PCT/US9.~/11330 A sheet material was prepared according to the procedures of Example I
and was converted into a tape having a width of one-half inch (1.27 cm). The tape was placed in a recessed lap joint which was prepared by spot welding two 5 pieces of steel together. A base coat ("NHU90394R" available from PPG, Pittsburgh, PA) was applied directly over the tape and the lap jointltape laminate was placed in an oven maintained at 270F. for 20 minutes. A clear coat (DCT 5000 from PPG, Pittsburg, PA) was then applied and the lap joint/tape laminate was thereafter run through a second baking cycle as above.
10 The resulting sealed lap joint had an aesthetically pleasing, painted ~rpr~nrr-An adhesive sheet material was prepared using the ingredients (and amounts thereof) and procedures described in Example I except that no chain transfer agent was included, and the amounts of micronized di~yr ~ ;rJ~
15 hardener and toluene bis-dimethyl urea added to the coatable syrup were 10.8 parts and 9.02 parts, respectively.
The sheet material was converted to a tape which was then adhered to a recessed lap joint and processed all as described in Example 2. During the process, the edges of the tape flowed, but to a lesser extent than resulted in 20 Example 2, to provide smooth transition lines between the apex of the tape and the recessed lap joint.
FXAMP!.FA'i 4 - 6 The . , which are listed in Table lA were mixed together to prepare three f( ' which varied only in the type of nitrogen-containing 25 ~;u~ ly~ monomer used. The ratio of the butyl acrylate to the nitrogen-containing ~ul~olyl~..,li~blc monomer in the syrup was varied so as to maintain the nitrogen-containing monomer on an equivalent molar basis. All amounts are amounts by weight.
~: The acrylate c~ ,or.~ were blended with ~ :
30 and pl~ut~olylll~ ~ with an ultraviolet (UV) light source under a constant nitrogen purge to produce partially polymerized "syrups". These syrups were 217~73~
~ WO95/13327 PCT~US94~11330 ,, then blended with the epoxy, epoxy curatives and other ingredients and were mixed until a solution was achieved.
ne: These resulting r~ ". ~ were degassed in a vacuum and fed into the nip of a knife-coater between two transparent, biaxially-oriented S POI~tl.JI~ i ,' ' I films, the facing surfaces of which had a silicone release coating. The knife coater was adjusted to provide a coating thickness of , 40 mils. The coatings emerging from the knife coater were irradiated with a UV light source, exposing each side of the coatings to a totalenergy of 223 mj/cm2 at an intensity of 1.29 mW/cm2, to give pressure-10 sensitive transfer tapes. The properties of these tapes are shown in Table IB.
TABLE 1~
SYRUPS Syrup A Syrup B Syrup C
Butyl scrylate (BA) 76 78 72 15N-Vmylpyrrolidone (NVP) 24 _ _ N,N-D' " ~' ,r' ' (NNDMA) -- 22 N-Vinyl c~lprolsctam (NVC) - -- Z8 Esacure:~ KB-I (beDzil dimethyl ketal 0.04 0.04 0.04 from Sartomer) 20Viscosity (cps) 2160 2000 2320 TIOI~S EXAMPLE 4 EXAMPLE S EXAMPLE 6 Syrup A 100 Syrup B -- 100 --Syrup C -- - 100 25DER 331/EpoD loolF (50150) 80 80 80 Esacure B-l l 0.1 0 1 D;, '' '- 4,2 4,2 4,2 He~akis (imidazole) nickel phthalste 2,1 2,1 2,1 Aerosil'~ R-972 (Degussa) 2 2 2 30F-80ED (polymeric microspheres 1,2 1,2 1.2 from Matsumoto) , WO ~5/13327 ~ PCTIUS94/11330 ~

IA.~KI~ EXAMPLE 4 EXAMPLE 5 EXAMPLE 6 5Tensile Strength 83 5 95 (uncured), psi ~6 ElongDtion (umcured) 1081 981 710 96 Gel (EtOAc x 24 hr), 95 Sample partially 87 (uncured) (No sample dissolved (No snmple disso~ution) dissolution) 10TcnsiicStreDgth, psi 700 215 593 (curcd: 140 C x 30 min) % Elongntion 55 313 5Z
(cured: 140 C x 30 miD) Dynamic Shear ofi 414 235 441 15Aiuminum, psi (cured: 140 C x 30 min) FXAMPL~, 7 As an additional ~ ;.. of these systems, the cured transfer tapes (140 C for 30 min) of Examples 4-6 were submitted for analysis by electron IlliU~ U~Jy. All the samples showed epoxy domains within a continuous acrylate phase, however, the average size of the majority ofthose epoxy domains was much larger (0.75 microns) for the Example 5 sample than for the Example 4 sample (0.18 microns) or the Example 6 sample (0.25 microns).
ExAMpT~Fn~ 8-11 The c~ listed in Table 2A were mixed together to prepare four r ~ '- which differed in the non-polar monomer used (BA or IOA), and the nitrogen-containing monomer used (NNDMA or NVC). The ru~ ul~
were syruped and coated with the procedure described in Examples 4-6. The coated mixture was photopolymerized using UV light sources (positioned above and below the tape) having intensities of I . I mW/cm2 to 2.5 mW/cm2. The , WO95113327 21 7~ 73~ PCT/IJS94/11330 total UV energy was 797 mJ/cm2. The properties of these tapes are shown in Table 2B.

SYRUPS Syrup A Sy~up B Syrup C Syrup D
Butylacrylate 80 - 80 --lscOctyl acrylate -- 80 -- 80 0N,N- 20 20 -- --N-Vinyl caprolactam -- -- 20 20 Esacure RB-I 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.0 Viscosity (cps) ~ 36 264 8 484 ~n ~TloNs EXAMPLE EXAMPLE EXAMPLE EXAMPLE

Syrup A 100 -- -- --Syrup B -- 100 -- --20Syrup C - -- 100 Syn p D -- -- -- 100 Epon 828 30 30 30 30 Ep~n 1001F 50 50 50 50 Esacure RB-I 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 25Di ,_ - 6 6 6 6 Toluene diisocyanate 5 s 5 5 urea ,WO95113327 7~34 PCTIUS9V11330 --l.~).. ,~cl ~ EX. 8 EX. 9 EX. 10 EX. 11 250F. Shear 3.7 > 15 1.5 Cre~p Flow (cm) 5Mdtability Visuai 3 3 3 2 E~amination (scnle 1-5) FXAMpIEs 12-16 The ~ u ,1~ iisted in Table 3A were mixed tûgether to prepare five c( ~ with increasing amounts of NNDMA in .~ i..,. with NVC in the syrup. The ~ ' were syruped and coated using the procedure describe~i in Examples 4-6. The coated mixture was pllvLuluvly~ iL~i using UV light sources (positioned above and below the tape) having intensities of 1.115mWlcm2 to 2.5 mW/cm2. The total UV energy was 396 mJ/cm2. The properties of these tapes are shown in Table 3B.

20FORMULATlON EX. 12 EX. 13 EX. 14 EX. 15 EX. 16 Syrup A:
BAINVCINNDMA/KB-I lû0 -- -- -- --(76l24l0l0.04) Syrup B:

(761181610.04) Syrup C:

(76/12112/0.04) 30Syrup D:
BAINVCINNDMA/KB-I -- -- -- loo --(761611810.04) Syrup E:

35(76101241û.04) Epon 828 30 30 3û 30 30 Epon 1001F 50 50 50 50 50 Esacure~ KB-I 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 r:, 6 6 6 6 6 407. Dl-urea 2 2 2 2 2 -,WO~51i3327 ~17~73~ PCT/17S94/1133 PROPERTIES EX. 12 EX. 13 EX. 14 EX. 15 EX. 16 5250F. She~r Creep Flow, cm 1.6 3.4 4.1 5.5 6.1 Meltability Visual Evaiuation I 2 3 3 3 (sc le 1-5) Dyn~mic Shear, ED-3150 coated steel2 (cured: 120C. x 1060 791 662 354 267 1030 min), psi T-peel, ED-3150coated stoel 45 43 38 26 25 (cured: 120C. x 30 min), p5i 90 degroe poel (uncured) 20 min. dwell off ED-3150, Ib/0.5 4.3 7.9 8.4 9.1 8.6 15inch 2 r~ ~ 6toel pamels coated with paint primer Yailable as ED-3150 from PPG Industries.
EXAM~LE 17 A r~ was prepared generaily accordin~ to the procedures of the previous Examples using the ingredients (and amounts) listed in Table 4 below.

iNGRi~DlENT AMOUNT
BA/NNDMA (80/20) 100 ~rgacure~651 - 14 30Epicote~1001 (from Sbell Chemicai Co.) 85 Epon~828 15 Wbiton~SB (c~icium carbonate from Shiraishi Kogyo 20 Kaisha, Ltd.) ~i, ' ' 7 352,4-Diamino-6-r2'-(~ 1)-(1)']- 4 ethyl-S-triazine isocyanurate a~duct (from Shikoi~u Chemical Co., Ltd,) Glycidyl methacrylate 3 3 ,, . acid 0.02 .. . .. ..

WO95/13327 21~ 4~3~ PCT/US9.1/11330 --~XAMPLF 18 An acrylate syrup was prepared by mixing 72 parts n-l,ulyk.~.~' with 28 parts of N,N~ la~ ' and 0.04 parts 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl 1~ ' ' "' ' (Irgacuren' 651 available from Ciba Geigy) and the 5 mixture was then pol~ .iL~I under ultraviolet lights in a nitrogen ~LI~u~
to a viscosity of about 3000 cps. A ~ Ir ~ was prepared by mixing 100 parts of the acrylate syrup, 0.1 part 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl ? , ' ~ æ~ U~-'65l), 60 parts Epikote'U1001 (available from Shell Chemical Co.), 20 parts Fpikoten' 828 (available from Shell 10 Chemical Co.), 6 parts micronized di.,~ ;GI~Iid~ (available from Air Products), 2 parts 2,4-diamino-6-[2'-1..~,~l.yli-~lid Luyl-(1)']-ethyl-S-triazine i~u~. adduct (2MA-OK available from Shikoku Chemical), 4 parts silica (Aerosil R-972 available from DeGussa), 4 parts K15 glass bubbles (available from Minnesota Mining and r~ ~ V Co. under the ScotchliteTU
15 trademark), 3 parts glycidyl ' ~ t~, and 0.2 parts Il~ UIJlU~iUlliC acid for 3 hours. The mixture was then degassed and knife-coated onto a 50 micron thick silicone release coated liner to a thickness of 2.0 mm. A second silicone release coated liner was placed over the coated comr(ncitil~n and cured wit~ UV
lights as described in Example 1, using intensities of 0.5 mW/cm2 above and 20 below the web, and a total energy input of 800 mJ/cm2, to form a sheet material.
A melt sealing tape was prepared by cutting a sample measuring 20 mm by 100 mm. A polyester nonwoven material having a basis weight of 10 ~1....1~/.. ~; meter (Syntexn'PS-R-055 sold by Mitsui r~,~lul,ll~...iwl Co.) wascut to a dimension of 10 mm by 100 mm. The nonwoven was laminated to the center of the melt sealing tape so that 5 mm of melt sealing tape were exposed on each side of the nonwoven.
The tape was tested by applying the tape to a 3 mm thick metal panel having a depression on the surface measuring 5 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm deep, with the nonwoven covering the depression. The taped panel was then heated in an oven at 140C for 30 minutes. The panel was cooled to room 21 7~734 WO 95/13327 , PCT/US94111330 and no defects were visible on the panel. The sheet material without the nonwoven was tested in a similar manner and a defect was noted in the area on the melt sealing tdpe covering the depression.
- 5 EXAMPL~A~ 19-21 A solution was formed by mixing BA, NNDMA, Eponn'828, and B60 were added in the parts by weight shown in Table 4 and placed on a roller mill overnight to dissolve the B60 to form an ~U~y~ ' solution. The pul~ 'a polyol (TONE'Y0240) was heated to about 70C and added to the ~ y/,l~lyld~t mixture, and the remaining ingredients were added using a high shear mixer.
After degassing under vacuum the mixtures were knife-coated to a thiclcness of 2 mm between two 0.05 mm silicone coated polyester release liners. The coated mixtures were cured with blacklight irradiation as described in Example I with a total energy of 652 mJlcm2 to form sheets, 338 mJlcm2 above the web and 314 mJlcm2 below the web. The intensity above the web was 2.09 mWlcm2 and the intensity below the web was 1.94 mWlcm2.
The sheets were tested for tensile strength, elongation, and vertical flow and results in Table S show how a pùly~luld~,~ullC polyol can be used to modify the fiow properties as well as the physical properties of the sheet.

, WO 95113327 ~ 3 ~ PCTIUS94/11330 ?. ~ TABLE 4 Ex~mple 19 Example 20 Ebample 21 TONEn'0240 0 10 20 EPON~828 20 20 20 iCB-I.16 .16 .16 10IRG 1010 .1 .1 .1 HINP

M5 2.5 2.5 2.5 T~BLE S
Exampie 19 i~xample 20 Exnmple 21 initial Tensile Strength - MPa 2.7 2.2 2.0 initial Elongation - % 271 282 269 Cure~i Tensile Strength - MPa 807 648 540 Cureo Elongation - % 136 165 147 25Flow- mm 2 3.5 5.5 Zl 7~ 734 , WO95113327 ; PCT/US9~/11330 l~,XAMPl,F!~ 7'~-:27 These examples were prepared as in Example 19 with varying materials shown in Table 6 and cured with a total energy of o47mJ/cm2, with 343 mJ/cm2 above the web and 304 mJ/cm2 below the web. The intensity on top of S the web was 2.07 mW/cm2 and 1.83 mW/cm2 below the web. Test results are showrt in Table 7.

Esnmple 22 23 24 25 26 27 TONE'0240 0 0 0 20 20 20 EPONEX~1510 40 40 40 40 40 40 KB-I .14 .14 .14 .14 .14 .14 5 IRG 1010 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 2MZ AZINE 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 M5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 E~Emple 22 23 24 25 26 25 90~ Peel - N/dm 120 72 22 72 92 8.8 Initial Tensile Strength - MPa 0.1 1.3 2.1 0.1 0.9 1.5 Initial Elongation - % 194 611 466 789 757 471 Cured l'ensilo Strength - MPa 234 494 603 48 239 379 Cured Elongation - 9~ 398 209 165 607 430 306 30 Flow - mm 6.5 2.0 2.0 26 17.5 6.0 , WO95/13327 ~3~ PCT/US9~/11330 ~
21~ ~ EXA~PLES 28-38 These examples were prepared as in l~xample 19 except that various l~uly~ polyols were used as shown in Table 8. The amounts of the other materials were kept the same and were: BA - 80; NNDMA - 20;
LPONn'lO01 - 80; B-l - 0.16; DICY - 1.2; C15-250 - 4; M5 - 4. B60 not used in these r.,,. ,I~""~c Total energy to cure was 654.6 mJ/cm2, with 341 mJ/cm2 above the web and 310 mJ/cm2 below the web. The intensity on top of the web was 1.87 mW/cm~ and 1.66 mW/cm2 below the web. Test results are also shown in Table 8.

, WO95113327 21 74 73~ PCT/~59~/11330 00 . æ
~ O _ ~ ~ O
~ ~,, æ ~, * ~ O
~ O ~ ~ O ~ V~ O
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, WO95/13327 21717 3 ~ PCTIU594/11330 TABLE 8 corltinuted * Sample did not break; peak elongation reported TEST A - 90 Peel - N/dm TEST B - Cured Overlap Shear Strength - MPA
TEST C - Initial Tensile Strength - MPa 5 TEST D - Initial Elongation - %
TEST E - Cured Tensile Strength - MPa TEST F - Cured Elongation - %
TEST G - Cured Hardness - Shore A (measured with a Shore A hardness tester) 10 TEST H - Flow - mm TEST I - Paint Adhesion FxA~ PLEs 39~2 Sheet materials were prepared using a polyester polymer S (Dynapol~S1402) and poly~pluL~ u.l~ polymers (TONEn'300 and TONEn'P767E) to alter the properties of the sheet materials in these examples.
The basic r~ ' were the same for all of the examples and different amounts of polymers were added as shown in Table 9. Materials used in the basic ' ' were: BA - 80; NNDMA - 20; EPON~1001 - 80; KB-1 -10 0.16; DICY - 2.8; HINP -1.2; C15-250 - 4; M5 - 4 and CBr4 - 0.4. The polymers were mixed with the BA, NNDMA, and epoxy and heated, with occasional agitation, to about 70C to melt the polymers and form a molten solutions. The remaining c~ (catalyst, accelerator, ~ .,., and fillers) were added to the solutions (which had been cooled to room 15 i , ) with a high shear mixer and degassed. Sheets (2.0 mm thick) were prepared as described in Example 19 with a total cure energy of 654.6 mJ/cm2, with 341 mJlcm2 above the web and 310 mJ/cm2 below the web, for examples 39-42. The intensities were 1.87 mW/cm2 above the web and 1.66 mW/cm2 below the web. Total energy to cure for Examples 43-44 was 20 6.5mJ/cm2, with 343 mJ/cm2 above the web and 304 mJ/cm2 below the web.
The intensity was 2.07 mW/cm2 aboYe the web and 1.83 mW/cm2 below the web.

~ WO95/13327 2174 7~4 Pcr/uss~nl33o Em~mple 39 40 41 42 43 44 TONE~300 - 10 20 - - -TONE'P767E - - - S
SDYNAPOL'YS1402 - - - - 5 10 TEST A 56 59.5 35 63 59,5 23.4 TEST B 3.5 2.6 0.7 2.2 2.6 3.4 TEST C 0.1 1.0 1.1 1.5 1.0 1.2 10 TEST E 2.7 2.9 2.0 1.6 2.9 1.4 TEST ~1 10 4 18 5 4 3 TEST I 100 100 100 ~00 100 100 15 .3(J1~: Tests are indic ted unde 'rable 8.
PXAMPLPAS 45-47 ~ ' CO~ RATlvE hlXAMPT,FAS Cl_l'?
A l.S mm thick ~ -u~ bl~ pressure sensitive adhesive sheet material 20 was prepared as described in Example 19 except that the rol~ da~iul~ was BA -60; NVC - 40; Eponexn'1510 - 80; Acryloidn'B60 - 80; KB-I - 0.16; DICY - 6;
2MZ Azine - 3; M5 - 4.5. The total energy used to cure the sheet was 647mJ/cm2 (343 MJ/cm2 above the web and 304 mJ/cm2 below) with an intensity of 2.07 mW/cm2 above the web and 1.83 mW/cm2 below the web.
Various Ih~l.. o~ ic films, shown in Table 10, were laminated to the sheet by hand except for Example 46 wherein the material was coated onto the silicone coated side of the polyester. The sheet was then cut to fit a recessed overlap joint (U-shaped channel made by bending 2 strips of cold rolled steel atabout 90 and spot welding the strips together to form the channel having a step30 joint) and heat cured at 20 minutes at 177C. The examples having a smooth surface were painted and tested for adhesion of paint to the film according to the above described paint adhesion test Test results are shown in Table 10.

, WO95/13327 217 4~3~ PCTIUS94/11330 ~

E~ FILM Appeurunce Aher cure PAint Adhesion g6 0.05 mm thick Polyimide Mm Smooth surface with good ss (Apical 200 AV from Allied Signal sealing 46 0.05 rnm thick bia~ially oriented Smooth 8urface with good loo polyester with 1 6ide coated with sealing silicone (Silicone CT 200 GA from Courtaulds Performimce Films 47 0.076 mm thick bi~xially oriented Smooth surface with good loo polyester film (Melinex 605 from sealing ICI Films Cl 0.05 mm thick r~l~ .;.. ,~ ~ ' ~ Film wrinkled & sagged;
film good sealing c2 o.os mm thick bia~ially oriented Film shrank during ~IJ~ , Il~.. ~ film he~ting; poor sealing ~ Not p in:ed l~XAMPLES 48- 50 An adduct of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 2-i~u~ a,a~ ' (IEM) was prepared by charging the following materials, under a dry air d~ c, to a 50û-ml three-neck flask round 15 bottom flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer, reflux condenser, and a Ih. . . ~ . . 200 grams of Eponn~828, 10.06 grams IEM (from Dow Chemical Co.), and 6 drops of dibutyl(tin)dilaurate. The flask was immersed in art oil bath an heated to 65C for aboul 5 hours until no residual isocyanate could be detected by infrared. The reaction product (DGEBA/IEM adduct) was 20 allowed to cool to room i , c and placed in an amber bottle. A 50/50 mixture of BA and NVC was heated to about 50C to form a solution. A
mixture (MIX) was prepared by mixing 400 parts of the BA/NVC solution, 600 parts BA, and 1000 parts EponTYlO01. The mixture was further cu ~ J
with fillers and catalysts as shown in Table 11 and 2.0 mm thick sheets were 25 prepared as described in Example 19. The sheet was substantially tack free.
The test data in Table 11 indicate that the stiffness of the sheet material was ~;~.lirl~.lly increased without affecting the melt flow properties.

~, W095113327 21 7~ 73 I PCT/IT594/11330 E~ample 48 49 50 M~X 1400 200 200 S KB-I 0.7 0.7 0.7 IRG 1010 0.7 0.2 0.2 DICY 24.5 3.5 3.5 HINP 8.75 1.25 1.25 CBr4 5.o 0.8 0.8 Mel~ Flow 3 3 3 Cured Overlap Shear -~ 836 777 700 15 Stiffness Ratio~ - Torque/ 0.0/ 0.24/ 1.53/
Viscous ' ' " ' pounds) 0.0 0.08 0.29 All failures were cohesive; results nr in pounds per s uare inch ~i~ Stiffness ratio calculated on a Mons~nto MDR (moving dic rheometer); run conditions -oscillatimg ~t 0.5 at 177C for 30 minutes EXAI~IPL~A~ 51-60 Tl~ . ".~. .. 11,1 ~lr sheets were prepared by mixing the BA, NNDMA, the epoxy resins, and the pùlyvi~-yluulyl~l in the amounts shown in Table 12 until asolution was formed. The fillers (20 parts calcium carbonate), epoxy hardeners 25 (in Table 12), r ~1~. (0.2 parts), and a chain transfer agent (0.1 parts 3-Il~y~uy.vyliu..ic acid) were then added using high shear mixing The mi~cture was then degassed and coated to a thickness of 0.4 mm as described in Example 19. The total energy to photocure the sheet was 800 mJ/cm2 at an itensity of about 0.5 mWlcm2 above and below the web. A portion of the 30 sheets of each ~ A ''' was then thermoset at 140C for 30 minutes. The sheets were then tested for tensile strength before and after thermal curing andresults are reported in kgt~cm2 in Table 13. The tackiness of the sheets is alsoreported. All of the examples had sufficient flow except for Example 55 which flowed slightly. The data show how the tack and tensile properties can be 35 modified with pol~(villylbuly~

. . .

, WO95113327 j ` PCTIUS94/11330 ~

y i~
~o ~o o ~ ~o ~o ,o ~
~D o o o o ~ o o o o o o o o -- o o o o o ~ o oj V~ ~ o E~l-----~-i o~o ~ ~ ~ ~ 2 ~ , o o o XOl XOi XO XO, XO, XO, ~ X ~o Xl oo ..

WO95113327 1 7~7,~ PCTIU594/~1330 mple Taclciness Tensile~ Tensile~
51 tackfree 32.6 79.9 552 tackfree 6g. 1 96.5 53 tackfree 81.8 111.1 54 tackfree 86.6 147.0 t~ckfree 70.9 97.2 56 t~ckfree 55.8 103.0 1057 tackfree 33.4 104.1 58 tacky 6.3 41.0 59 tacky 4. 8 32.4 NT NT NT
61 tacky 75.8 82.0 1562 tacky 73.4 80.7 63 Not tested Not tested Not tested * before thermal curing ~ fter thermal curing J

Claims (27)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for imparting topographical features to a permanent substrate comprising the steps of:
a) providing a dissevered. hardenable sheet material having first and second major surfaces, comprising a latent thermosettable pressuresensitive adhesive throughout a major portion of its thickness. exhibiting pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at said first major surface, and having a thermoplastic film that is dimensionally stable at said second major surface;
b) contacting and adhering said first major surface of said sheet material to said permanent substrate or a temporary substrate leaving said second major surface of said sheet material exposed;
c) substantially thermosetting and substantially hardening said sheet material in a manner permitting initial, controlled mass flow of the sheet material substantially in its thickness direction to provide a substantially smooth transition between said second surface of said sheet material and said permanent substrate or said temporary substrate to which it has been adhered; and d) in the event said hardened sheet material is adhered to said temporary substrate, removing said hardened sheet material therefrom and thereafter fastening said first major surface of said sheet material to said permanent substrate.

2. A method according to Claim 1, wherein step b) involves the contacting and adhering of said first major surface of said sheet material to said permanent substrate.

3. A method according to Claim 1, wherein step c) is accomplished by heating said sheet material.

4 A method according to Claim 3, wherein step c) is accomplished by heating said sheet material to a temperature sufficient to decrease its modulus and thereby permitting said controlled mass flow, followed by heating said sheet material to a higher temperature resulting in substantially thermosetting and substantially hardening said sheet material.

5. A method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of painting said second major surface of said sheet material prior to step c).

6. A method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step of painting said second major surface of said sheet material subsequent to step c).

7. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermosettable pressure-sensitive adhesive exhibits pressure-sensitive adhesive properties at ambient temperature.

3. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said sheet material comprises said thermosettable pressure-sensitive adhesive throughout substantially its entire thickness.

9. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermosettable pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises the photochemical reaction product of starting materials comprising i) a prepolymeric or monomeric syrup comprising an acrylic or methacrylic acid ester; ii) an epoxy resin; iii) a photoinitiator; and iv) a heat-activatable hardener for said epoxy resin.

10. A method according to Claim 9, wherein said starting materials further comprise a chain transfer agent.

11. A method according to Claim 9, wherein said thermosettable pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises the photochemical reaction product of starting materials comprising:
a) 100 parts by weight of a prepolymeric or monomeric syrup comprising an alkyl acrylate or methacrylate wherein said alkyl moiety comprises about 4 to 12carbon atoms;
b) from 25 to 120 parts by weight of an epoxy resin;
c) from 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of a photoinitiator; and d) from 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of a heat-activatable hardener for said epoxy resin.

12. A method according to Claim 11, wherein said prepolymeric or monomeric syrup further comprises a reinforcing monomer copolymerizable with said alkyl acrylate or methacrylate.

13. A method according to Claim 12, wherein said reinforcing monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, isobornyl acrylate, N-vinyl caprolactam, N-vinylpyrrolidone, N-vinyl piperidine, N,N-dimethylacrylamide and acrylonitrile.

14. A method according to Claim 9, wherein said prepolymeric or monomeric syrup further comprises an epoxy-functional monomer.

15. A method according to Claim 14, wherein said epoxyfunctional monomer is selected from the group consisting of glycidyl methacrylate and glycidyl acrylate.

16. A method according to Claim 17, wherein said prepolymeric or monomeric syrup comprises from about 50 to about 98 parts by weight of said alkyl acrylate or methacrylate and correspondingly about 50 to about 5 parts by weight of said reinforcing monomer.

17. A method according to Claim 11, wherein said epoxy resin is selected from the group consisting of a phenolic epoxy resin, a bisphenol epoxy resin a hydrogenated epoxy resin, an aliphatic epoxy resin and a halogenated epoxy resin.

18. A method according to Claim 11, wherein said starting materials further comprise a chain transfer agent.

19. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said sheet material is in the form of an emblem or insignia or design element and said permanent substrate is primed or unprimed metal.

20. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said sheet material is in the form of a tape and said permanent substrate is primed or unprimed metal.

21. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said permanent substrate is primed or unprimed metallic portion of an automobile body.

22. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic film is a polyimide film.

23. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic film is a biaxially oriented polyester film.

24. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic film has a thickness of from about 0.025 mm to about 0.5 mm.

25. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic film has a thickness of from about 0.05 mm to about 0.25 mm.

26. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said sheet material comprises a polycaprolactone.

27. A method according to Claim 1, wherein said sheet material comprises a nonwoven.